“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

That Darwin quote was used for dramatic effect today in a PRSA presentation by Rob Amberg of Cushman/Amberg Communications titled, “Will You Be My Friend? Social Networking's Role in Business Strategy.”

I was not particularly interested in Amberg’s overview of “traditional” tools for social networking, how these sites can supplement a company’s communications strategy and the associated risks with using social media. Being a Gen Y/Millennial and working at a firm that understands the importance of Web 2.0, I already knew the basics. No, what I found most interesting was the lack of experience my fellow PRSA members had in the digital world.

Before the presentation began, we were asked to fill out a paper, marking yes or no next to the following 10 questions:

Do you have an active LinkedIn profile?

Do you regularly send text messages to communicate?

Do you use any kind of RSS reader on a daily basis?

Do you keep an active blog?

Do you have an account with del.icio.us or Digg?

Have you ever posted a video on YouTube?

Do you have an active Facebook or MySpace account?

Do you have an avatar in Second Life?

Do you listed to podcasts at least twice a month?

Do you Twitter?

He then went through each, asking the audience to raise our hands if we had marked yes. I couldn’t raise my hand for all 10; I’m not an active Twitterer, and I have never actually posted a YouTube video. I also don’t listen to podcasts at least twice a month, but I didn’t like that question anyway.

Only one woman raised her hand for all 10 questions. Amberg wasn’t surprised. In fact, his response was, “I didn’t expect anyone to have more than five.” More than five? I thought his expectations were low, considering that our clients and/or bosses look to us for ideas and advice regarding the digital world.

I was even more surprised – and somewhat worried – that my own former PR professor had answered "no" to all of the above questions. College students spend so much of their time using these social tools ... why not bring them inside the classroom and discuss their role in PR? Perhaps that’s an idea for a new class – Strategic Communications and the Digital World.

It all comes down to this: If we’re still going to call it “public relations,” then we must understand how to relate to those publics using the appropriate medium, whether it’s YouTube or the corporate blog. Yes, we must be adaptable to change, but we must also be willing to embrace it and move with it. The only risk is being left behind.

Comments (7)

Name

Title

Comment

Add Comment